


I Once Had a Girl (Or Should I Say, She Once Had Me)

by JackEPeace



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: F/F, Femslash February 2016, Some Canon, some AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-25
Updated: 2016-02-28
Packaged: 2018-05-23 06:25:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,558
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6107870
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JackEPeace/pseuds/JackEPeace
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of my Skimmons Femslash February fics, just to keep things neat and tidy!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prompt -Rivals to Lovers

**Author's Note:**

> So I've been slowly but surely trying to work my way through prompts on my Femslash Bingo card and I thought it would be a good idea to keep all the stories in one place. As always, you can also find these stories if you visit me on tumblr!

**Prompt 01 -Rivals to Lovers**

It should come as no surprise that Jemma Simmons’ primary motivating factor is to be the best at everything she attempts. She has no idea when this particular need settled over her; she remembers going into primary school and needing to be the first to master everything. She hasn’t really slowed down since. In her opinion, it was perfectly logical that SHIELD Academy scoop her up from high school and drop her into Sci-Tech before she was even eighteen years old because that’s just how things happened in her life. She was the best at everything so naturally the best agencies were interested in her.

In order to be an agent, Jemma knows that it’s about more than biochemistry and alien DNA. She doesn’t want to be trapped in a lap for the rest of her life, not when the whole world and so many prospects are being dangled so appealingly in front of her nose. She wants to be an agent, a real field agent with her impressive degrees and the knowledge to help her team out of any situation. To do that, she needs to train.

Jemma has never really been interested in physical activity, not when there was so many more appealing things to be found in books and labs and under microscopes and in journals. But the Academy obviously isn’t very interested in having a field agent who can’t do a push up or run a mile.

It seems like an odd form of punishment to make the Sci-Tech agents train with the Operations recruits, though Jemma isn’t sure who is being punished, the former or the latter. Despite going back to her dorm every night exhausted and often bruised, Jemma is committed to her goal. She’s going to become a field agent; the best the Academy has seen in quite some time.

And she figures that she could actually achieve that goal, if it wasn’t for Daisy Johnson.

Daisy is Operation’s newest addition, a surly girl a year younger than herself who was apparently cherry picked by Director Coulson from some kind of orphanage and destined to be top of her class and a brilliant field agent by the time that she’s eighteen.

Jemma knows it’s childish, she knows this is one of her shortcomings. But she wants to be the best.

Daily, Jemma pushes herself harder, faster, longer, trying to stay even with Daisy. She wants to stay in step with her during their runs, wants to complete the courses in the same amount of time or, ideally, faster. Jemma can tell this drive doesn’t go unnoticed; she can often feel Daisy’s eyes on her, watching her out of her peripheral vision as they run, climb, train.

Even though Jemma isn’t proud of this fact, the one time Daisy actually tried to talk to her -hopeful and welcoming words wrapped in a pretty smile and tentative eyes- Jemma ignored her and buried her face in the data she was analyzing. That pretty much put a stop to any sort of fraternizing with the enemy, though Jemma isn’t entirely sure that Daisy knows that she’s her enemy.

They’re neck and neck in the rankings, something that makes Jemma grit her teeth and push herself harder.

It’s this determination and motivation that has her in the gym before the sun even comes up, her hair pulled back in a ponytail and her workout attire already sticking to her body from the sweat that she’s accumulated through her rigorous routine. She has a lab in three hours and she’s starting to worry that she’s not even going to be able to keep her eyes open to focus on what Professor Hall is saying.

But the second Jemma considers stopping and heading back to her dorm for a shower and a nap, the door to the gym swings open and Daisy herself walks in. Daisy starts to smile at her and then quickly changes her mind, turning her head away and going about her warm up. Jemma feels almost disappointed by this occurrence, which is a definite change in how she usually feels around Daisy. Why should she care whether Daisy is ignoring her? That’s exactly what she needs: to keep her at arm’s distance and surpass her in every area.

Daisy moves through a series of stretches that look more like yoga poses and Jemma feels her own focus and resolve starting to falter. Daisy is certainly in excellent physical condition, even someone who spends the majority of her time trying to best her can acknowledge that. And appreciate it, apparently, because Jemma suddenly can’t keep her eyes off the curve of her muscles in her shoulders as she stretches or the flat expanse of abs beneath her black SHIELD issue tank top.

Daisy closes her eyes, stretching down to touch her toes and Jemma feels her cheeks go hot as her eyes are pulled straight to the dip in her tank top. Jemma loses her footing while halfway through her lunge, hitting the mat with an embarrassingly solid thud. Daisy’s eyes snap open, looking at Jemma curiously. “Are you okay?”

“Yes.” Jemma gets to her feet quickly, rolling her shoulders. “Perfectly all right.” She starts to reach for her gym bag, desperate to get away from Daisy and this sudden and ridiculous change in her impression of the other girl, but then thinks better of it. “Would you like to spar?”

Obviously the best way to beat your opponent is to know how they think and move. What better way to understand those things about Daisy than to fight with her?

For a minute it looks like Daisy is going to decline her offer and go back to her stretches but then she nods, stepping onto the mat in front of Jemma. She links her fingers together, lifting her arms over her head in one last, delicious stretch and Jemma looks away before she can really notice the strip of skin that is exposed by the action.

Without the structure of their instructor supervising the bout, they sort of just fall into the sparring sloppily, their movements at first uncoordinated and awkward. Jemma has never sparred with Daisy; May is fond of matching her with partners from Sci-Tech rather than the Operations students and she’s always found that to be both insulting and frustrating. Right now, she feels like she at least understands the woman’s motivation.

Daisy is clearly superior in this area at least, which only serves to make Jemma even more frustrated and flustered. Daisy’s body feels like it’s made of solid muscle and every time Jemma is ready to make a move, to try and take her opponent but surprise and gain the upper hand, Daisy has already made a counter attack, putting Jemma two steps behind her again.

Daisy grabs her around the waist, starting to pin her arms to her side and Jemma feels a brief surge of panic at the thought of being rendered helpless. Abruptly Daisy releases her hold, moving back into a defensive position.

Jemma steps back, tensing her muscles. “You’re holding back.” She excuses, narrowing her eyes. “You don’t think I can handle it?”

Daisy shakes her head. “I’m sure you can handle it.” She tells Jemma. “I just know you haven’t had as much training.”

Though Jemma knows that Daisy is only being considerate and erring on the side of caution -as Jemma knows that they both should be- her panic is replaced by a fiery storm of annoyance. “Don’t go easy on me.” She practically spits.

The shrug that she gets in response only serves to further annoy Jemma. She makes a move toward Daisy again, knowing that May would chide her for going in blind and letting her emotions motive her motions. But she can’t help it.

Daisy grabs her easily, her arm sliding around her waist once more, spinning Jemma so that her back is pressed to Daisy’s front. Jemma lifts her arm to elbow Daisy in the stomach and free herself but, once again, Daisy is one step ahead of her; she uses her free hand to grab Jemma’s wrist, twisting it behind her back and keeping it pinned there.

“You know, you really are pretty good.” Daisy says, her breath hot against Jemma’s cheek. Jemma swallows, gritting her teeth. “We should train like this more often.”

Jemma decides to ignore the compliment. Instead, she moves backward, trying to use her weight to throw Daisy off balance. She steps down with her heel onto the top of Daisy’s foot and Daisy lets out a cry of pain. Jemma twists away, intrigued by the feeling of guilt and victory that manages to rush through her body; she had no idea that such a combination was even possible.

Before she can do too much celebrating, Daisy is moving back toward her, sweeping Jemma’s feet out from under her and dropping her to the ground. Jemma manages to reach out in time to grab a fistful of Daisy’s tank top, dragging her down to the mat with her.

Daisy pins her down, keeping her pressed to the blue mat with a knee to Jemma’s abdomen. She’s not actually applying pressure, just the subtle hint that she has the upper hand; her hands are keeping Jemma’s arms pinned above her head, useless.

Jemma grunts, trying to push Daisy off of her, her eyes flashing with embarrassment and anger.

“Yield.” Daisy pushes back against her struggles, her eyes narrowing. Jemma says nothing, trying to twist away again. “God you’re so stubborn. Why do you hate me so much?”

The question takes Jemma completely by surprise and she stops trying to wrench herself free, staring up at Daisy. It’s clear that Daisy is equally surprised by her own words, the flush of embarrassment spreading across her cheeks and neck.

A twist of hair has escaped Daisy’s tight ponytail, falling down across her cheek and Jemma has the absurd desire to reach up and brush it aside.

Daisy loosens her grip and Jemma takes full of advantage of this opportunity, throwing her weight against the other girl and knocking her backward onto the mat. Jemma pins her there with her body, leaning forward and kissing her.

At that point, it’s hard to say which one of them is more surprised.

Though, it doesn’t escape Jemma’s attention that Daisy is quite a willing participant in the kiss.

Jemma pulls back before she can completely lose herself, her mouth parting in surprise, her eyes fixed on Daisy’s face. She’s trying to read her expression but Daisy only looks flustered and confused, watching Jemma with a hint of anticipation.

“I don’t hate you.” Jemma says, leaning back and releasing her hold on Daisy. “I don't…I don’t know how I feel.”

Daisy sits up, propping herself up on her elbows. “You just kissed me.” She points out dumbly. “That has to count for something.”

Jemma swallows, nodding. When she purses her lips, they’re still tingling from the contact with Daisy’s. “I think I want to do it again.”

Daisy starts to nod but then she stops herself. “Okay, what’s going on? One second you’re giving me death glares and refusing to talk to me and the next…we’re kissing.”

Jemma decides to take it as a good sign that Daisy used the word ‘we.’ It makes her feel like any future attempts to kiss her might prove successful.

“I know.” Jemma sighs, shaking her head. “I was…well I thought of us as rivals and I was jealous of your accomplishments at the Academy. It suddenly seems completely ridiculous now.”

Daisy quirks an eyebrow. “Why?”

Jemma shrugs. “Because we’ve wasted so much time when we could have been doing this.” She leans in to kiss her again.

Daisy wraps a hand around the base of Jemma’s neck, pulling her closer. Oh yeah, they definitely have to do this kissing thing more often.

Unfortunately, Daisy decides to pull away, a teasing smirk on her face. “So you really thought we were rivals?” She questions. “You really think I’m better than you?”

“Maybe at some things.” Jemma whispers against Daisy’s lips, pushing the other girl back down onto the mat. “But I still have a few tricks up my sleeve.”


	2. Handcuffed Together

**Prompt 02 -Handcuffed Together**

 

“I’m going to kill Fitz.” Jemma grumbles, tugging uselessly at the metal encircling her wrist. “I’m going to kill him.”

The movement pulls Daisy a little off balance and it takes all her training not to tumble into Jemma. She pulls her hand back, pulling Jemma’s own wrist out of her reach. Jemma looks up at her, annoyed. “It’s going to be okay.” Daisy assures her, though she’s not entirely sure that she believes her own words. “They’re going to figure it out soon enough.”

Jemma only rolls her eyes. “Fitz is the one who got us into this mess in the first place.” She grumbles, holding up her wrist and -by extension- Daisy’s. The metal circling both of their wrists is connected by a short bar of metal, the lights at each end glowing an infuriating red. “I am never helping him out in the lab again.”

Daisy resists the urge to point out that she finds that very doubtful. After all, Jemma is a little annoyed that she’s not in the lab herself right now; Daisy has heard about her specimens and work probably five times already and it’s only been half an hour since they were ensnared in Fitz’s latest invention. His intentions with the cuffs were that they would be more than enough to trap and keep an Inhuman or human menace until they released the grip of the cuffs and had their enemy in custody. Apparently Fitz had yet to get to the whole releasing part of the design.

“Look at it this way,” Daisy says instead, trying to be positive about this predicament, “now Coulson can’t yell at us if we want to sit on the couch for the rest of the day and finish Making a Murderer.”

Jemma starts to argue this point and then pauses, considering. “I suppose you’re right.” She shrugs, the movement pulling Daisy’s arm along with it. “I guess the right thing to do would be to take advantage of it.”

Daisy grins at her. “Now you’re talking.”

Making popcorn proves to be a little difficult but they eventually get the hang of maneuvering around the base cuffed together, communicating their every move to one another. While life would definitely be easier if they could get more than a foot away from each other, Daisy is glad that Jemma seems to have grown less annoyed with the whole situation. Her laugh is much more fun to listen to.

On the couch they settle close together to give the cuffs a little bit of slack, the popcorn bowl resting on both their thighs. Of course, trying to eat out of the same bowl has its own challenges considering that they have to reach over with their free hand in order to keep from raising the other’s hand every time they want a bite of popcorn.

The episode finishes and there’s nothing else to do but start the next one, which is just fine with Daisy. It’s nice to be able to relax for a little while and let someone else save the world for a few hours.

“You know,” Daisy says as they wait for the next episode to begin, “I’m not really that upset. I mean, I wish it didn’t take getting handcuffed together to get you to slow down and hang out but I’m not going to complain about it.”

Jemma looks over at her, her expression slightly guilty. “I’m sorry.” She says, her eyes softening. “I have been caught up trying to figure out how to destroy that thing from Maveth and…I’m sorry.” She says again. “I am glad that you’re the one I ended up hand cuffed to.”

Daisy smiles, the warmth of her compliment spreading through her chest and making her forget about the fact that they’re cuffed together. All that really seems to be matter is that Jemma’s shoulder is pressed into hers and the smile on her face is soft and genuine and familiar.

“Yeah.” Daisy nods. “Me too.”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

By the end of the day, Fitz and the other SHIELD scientists he’s roped into helping him have yet to figure out how to release Daisy and Jemma from the cuffs. At least the rest of the team managed to contain their laughter during dinner, probably fearing for their own safety if they let out so much as a chuckle while watching Jemma and Daisy attempt to figure out how to eat one handed.

But once dinner is out of the way, a new problem presents itself.

“Of course it’s fine.” Jemma says quickly and Daisy can’t help but notice and wonder about the way the tips of her ears start to turn pink. “We can share a bed. No problem.”

And so they lay in the darkness of Jemma’s bedroom, wearing the clothes they put on that morning before they ended up on the wrong end of Fitz’s brilliant new invention, staring up at the ceiling. Daisy tries not to move, hyper aware of Jemma there beside her and the fact that each movement will cause one in Jemma as well.

Not to mention the fact that Daisy has often wondered what it would be like to fall asleep next to Jemma. Honestly, she never imagined that it would be like this.

Jemma sighs and Daisy peeks one eye open, glancing over toward her. Jemma is awake, her brow furrowed and her focus on the shadows dancing across the ceiling.

“This is really uncomfortable.” Daisy chances and Jemma turns her head in Daisy’s direction. “There has to be an easier way.”

Jemma nods quickly, looking relieved. “I was just thinking the same thing. We’ll never be able to sleep like this.”

Of course, Daisy has no idea how she’s supposed to sleep in the new position that they decide upon either. This…this is more what she imagined when she thought about falling asleep next to Jemma. She’s resting on her side with Jemma curled up behind her, their cuffed hands resting across Daisy’s hip. The pressure of the metal is uncomfortable but the sensation of Jemma’s breath across the back of her neck and the warmth of having her so close definitely makes up for it.

Daisy swallows, her throat suddenly dry. “Better.” She manages, though she’s not sure that she sounds convincing.

“Are you sure?” Jemma questions. “I could always try to-”

“No, it’s fine.” Daisy assures her. “I just…remember when we were in that hotel after we found out that Ward was Hydra and we kept trying to convince Fitz that we should all go skinny-dipping and then May was trying to sleep so she came outside and told us all to shut up or she would drown us in the pool?”

It’s funny how the memory makes her want to smile even though, at the time, she’d felt like her entire life was crumbling down around her. She’d felt like everything she’d ever known, the family that she’d finally found, was gone and she was all alone again. Of course, even then she’d known that wasn’t entirely true; she still had Coulson and May and Jemma and Fitz had been right there with her in their shared hotel room.

Jemma laughs quietly, a sound that manages to be both wistful and sad. “Of course I remember.” She sighs. “It seems like so long ago.”

Daisy nods. “We shared a bed then, too.” She points out. “It wasn’t quite like this.”

This time when Jemma laughs, the sound is lighter and it brushes against the back of Daisy’s neck like a caress. “No, it wasn’t. At least I know these sheets are clean.”

Daisy smiles even though she knows Jemma can’t see her. “You know…” She has no idea where this sudden burst of honesty has come from but now suddenly seems like the perfect time confess the thoughts that have been running through her mind. Maybe because she doesn’t have to face Jemma while she’s doing it. “I promised myself that if I ever got to share a bed with you again, it was because we both wanted to be there…because you wanted to be there.” She wonders if Jemma can feel the sudden erratic beating of her heart. “Because you knew how I felt.”

For one agonizing minute, Jemma doesn’t say anything and Daisy thinks that she needs to get herself out of these handcuffs as fast as possible so she can ask Coulson about a transfer to that base in Siberia he’s always talking about.

And then Jemma shifts so that she’s marginally closer, her ankle resting against Daisy’s. “And how do you feel?” She asks softly.

“I’ve thought about sharing a bed with you before, Jemma.” Daisy sighs. “I think it’s pretty obvious how I feel.”

Jemma moves closer and her hand on Daisy’s hip suddenly feels less like a necessity and more like an actual touch, a gentle pressure. “I have too.” She says quietly. “Perhaps when we’re out of these handcuffs, we could give it a try.”

Daisy grins, a stupid smile that she’s glad that Jemma can’t see. “We’re already sharing a bed.” She points out, her tone teasing, even though her heart is turning somersaults in her chest.

Even though she can’t see Jemma, Daisy can easily imagine her eye roll. “You know what I mean.”

Daisy knows exactly what she means. Fitz really needs to figure out a way to get rid of these handcuffs.


	3. Fake Dating

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is probably the loosest definition of "fake dating" ever known to man but I got a little carried away. Also couldn't resist the urge to throw in some Jessica Jones and Trish Walker because I'm a sucker for Patsy.

**Prompt 03: Fake Dating**

 

"Be cool." Fitz says under his breath as he grabs Jemma's hand, tugging her away from the rest of the tour group. She immediately starts to protest and he yanks on her hand harder, nearly pulling her off balance. "Be cool."

Jemma twists her hand away, stopping in her tracks. "Fitz! What are you doing?" She narrows her eyes, glancing fretfully over her shoulder. "Mrs. Weaver is leading the group that way."

Fitz rolls his eyes. "I know. Away from the good stuff." He tilts his head back toward the lots they just walked past, toward an alleyway that their tour guide walked them past with only a few parting words. "Come on, you know you want to. This is the whole reason you wanted to come on this stupid tour instead of going with Dr. Hall to the Air and Space Museum."

Even though Jemma protests, she knows that Fitz knows exactly what he's talking about. Of course the whole point of the class trip had been to go to such museums and the college campus that was trying to recruit as many of Hall and Weaver's brilliant seventeen-year-olds as possible but that hadn't been Jemma's primary motive for signing up.

Jemma worries her bottom lip between her teeth, looking back over her shoulder. The rest of her classmates and the chaperones don't appear to realize that they've lost two of the members of the group and no one else walking past them seems to have any interest either.

"How do you even know it's down there?" Jemma questions instead, furrowing her brow at Fitz. "It could be down there." She points back toward the group. "We could be missing it."

Once again, Fitz just rolls his eyes. "You saw how the tour guide acted. It's totally down this way."

Jemma shakes her head. "We could get into trouble."

Fitz smirks. "Well we wouldn't want that."

Jemma sighs in exasperation. "Fitz! You know I like following the rules and-"

"Yes, we all know Jemma." He interrupts before she can finish. "You need a better line."

Jemma casts one more glance back at the group before stepping toward Fitz. "Just a quick look can't hurt."

Fitz grins, grabbing her hand again and pulling her forward. "Just wait until we tell everyone back at school that we saw Patsy."

"Aren't you getting a little ahead of yourself?" Jemma questions but she's finding it hard to repress a grin at the thought. Patsy, in person! "Maybe we could get an autograph…"

"Or a picture." Fitz adds eagerly as they turn the corner, officially disembarking from the preapproved tour trail. "Everyone would be jealous."

All of Jemma's doubts about Fitz's intuition are quickly banished when they step onto another lot, far larger than the ones they've seen so far today, and see a billboard plastered to the side of a warehouse with the words _It's Patsy_ scrawled across it and a picture of Patsy herself. Not to mention all the trailers, chairs and crew happen to be broadcasting the same words, like they can't imagine going a second without everyone knowing exactly what they're working on.

There's a lot of hustle and bustle: men totting cameras, women talking into clip-on microphones and hurrying across the asphalt, people pushing around props or carrying stacks of paper or plates of food. A man pushes a rack of clothes past them and Jemma feels a thrill of excitement when she recognizes Patsy's cheerleading uniform and the dress that she longs to wear to junior prom.

"Fitz!" Jemma squeals again, squeezing her hand's hand. "We found it."

Fitz seems pretty pleased with himself. "Told you."

Of course, there's no sign of Patsy herself. But they do happen to see a pair of security guards walking in their direction, chatting casually with a woman in a black 'crew' shirt and while they don't look concerned about unwelcome visitors, Jemma has the feeling that will change as soon as they spot two teenagers that definitely aren't in the cast.

Jemma tugs Fitz backward, ducking behind one of the trailers before they can be spotted. Well, her quick thinking might have helped them escape the security guards but they definitely haven't escaped the scrutiny of another pair of eyes. Or, rather, three pairs of eyes.

Three heads turn in their direction in unison and it would almost be funny if Jemma wasn't struck with the sudden thought _holy shit, it's Patsy!_ followed almost immediately by the thought _we are so dead_.

Because they have indeed caught the attention of Patsy, who is looking at them with a half-tilted head and eyes that express more curiosity than anything else. That's better than her two companions, one of whom is looking at them with utter disinterest, the other with hostility.

Of course, the angry glarer happens to be Daisy Johnson, costar of the show and Jemma's personal favorite, though she'd never admit it because it's pretty much a sin among her friends not to love Patsy. But she kinda has a thing for Skye, the surly foster kid staying with Patsy's family; Jemma is certain that Skye is a few episodes shy of being redeemed by the love of Patsy's perfect family but right now she's kinda digging the whole bad girl, leather-jacket, car-stealing vibe that is currently making up Skye's character arc.

Though it seems like the surliness might not be an act.

"Oh." Jemma steps back, into Fitz, who doesn't seem interested in making a getaway. "Sorry. We…were looking for crafts services?"

Daisy glances toward Patsy and their other friend before looking back toward Jemma and Fitz, her skepticism obvious. "Yeah. Sure." She hops off the edge of the table that she was perched on, knocking off the book that had been previously spread open in front of Patsy, stepping toward them. "You guys aren't the first to try and sneak on set so-"

Jemma bends down to collect the book without thinking, desperate to avoid the murderous look in Daisy's eyes. "Oh, here." She hands the book back toward the girl, pausing when she notices the print. "Balancing equations. Fun." She laughs nervously.

Once again, Daisy and Patsy exchange looks and Patsy quickly gets to her feet. "Who did you say you were again? Does this mumbo-jumbo actually mean something to you?" There's just the slightest hint of desperation in her voice.

And that's how Fitz and Jemma end up in Daisy's trailer helping Patsy ("oh god, please call me Trish") and Daisy with their science homework while Trish's friend (who might be the real-life inspiration for Skye if Jemma had to take a guess) lounges on the couch and takes very little interest in homework of any kind.

Jemma really thinks about taking a picture of the whole thing because she has a feeling that no one at school is going to believe a word of this.

"See," Jemma smiles at Daisy twenty minutes into the whole surreal experience, "you're getting the hang of it."

That's putting it nicely but she's still a little afraid of Daisy's death glare, not to mention the fact that she's actually sitting next to Daisy Johnson, whom she just happens to have a crush on thanks to weekly viewings of _It's Patsy_ and it's a little hard to focus on science right now. Something Jemma never thought she would say.

Daisy, at least, smiles at her.

"We should go." Fitz nudges Jemma's ankle under the table, giving an apologetic smile to the other girls. "It's not that we aren't having a blast but I'm kinda thinking this whole thing is a dream but if it's not our teacher is going to be really upset that we wandered off and never came back."

Trish gets to her feet, walking with Fitz toward the trailer door but when Jemma stands, she's surprised by Daisy putting a hand on her elbow. "Do you have to go? I don't think I've got the hang of this crap yet and you're way better than that guy they bring in to tutor us."

Jemma gives her an apologetic smile. "If Mrs. Weaver has to call my mother, I'm going to be grounded for a month." She cringes, scrubbing a hand across her face. "Oh my gosh, that sounded unbelievably lame. You don't get grounded, you're a big star, you probably-"

"It's fine." Daisy interrupts her and at least she's still smiling, though Jemma thinks it's a bit like you might smile at a kitten that got itself stuck in a flower vase. "Hey, maybe you could come back? I can give you my number and maybe you could come help me with balancing…whatever again?"

And that's how Jemma ends up with Daisy Johnson's number in her phone. She's starting to agree with Fitz about how this whole thing is just some kind of dream.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Of course, it's not a dream. Not judging by the dressing down they get from Mrs. Weaver or the fact that no matter how many times she opens her phone to look at contacts, Daisy's number is still there. So clearly they weren't just having some shared delusion.

On the bus ride back to school, Fitz catches her checking her phone for the twentieth time and grins, elbowing her. "I can't believe you got Daisy Johnson's phone number." He says under his breath.

Jemma rolls her eyes. "Not like that." She grumbles, though she does feel her face start to get a little pink. It's embarrassing, honestly, but can you blame her? She has been a devoted fan of _It's Patsy_ for the past three years and the introduction of Skye has only made her even more loyal. And now she's seen Skye…well, Daisy…in the flesh. It's enough to make anyone blush.

The story they officially tell their classmates is that they got lost, turned around amidst all the lots and crazy scenery and hade to be escorted back by lot security (that part, at least, is true.) But they can't help but tell Bobbi and Mack the truth and Jemma gives into her inner fangirl just a little bit, bouncing around and squealing with Bobbi like the nerds they are.

"I mean, they were probably just being nice." Jemma says with a dismissive shrug as they walk home that afternoon, all fangirled out for the moment. "They probably know how to balance equations."

Bobbi snorts out a laugh, rolling her eyes. "Well, you'll have to test Daisy when she texts you." She says.

Jemma shakes her head. "She won't message me."

The next day, when Jemma switches on her phone after chemistry class, she's surprised to see that she has one new message from the contact listed in her phone as Daisy Johnson. The message is simple enough, friendly and straightforward: _hey, this is Daisy_ (like she could have possibly forgotten) _still interested in helping with chemistry?_

 _Are you kidding?_ Jemma texts back, perhaps a bit too quickly, _I love chemistry. It's my favorite thing_.

The message is sent before she can wonder if maybe that wasn't the best approach to take.

At least Daisy doesn't seem to mind, though it's always hard to tell these things through text messages. She just responds with instructions on how to get onto the lot and past all the security goons who patrol the set to keep out teenagers with a Patsy obsession. Jemma decides that it's probably not wise to point out that their security detail could use a little bit of work.

Jemma actually manages to get past security, just like Daisy promised that she would and it feels even more surreal being back a second time, without Fitz. She can't help but let her eyes wander as Daisy walks with her back toward her trailer, taking in all the sights. She recognizes some of the exterior shots easily and the props and costumes and, yup, there's the actor that plays Patsy's perfect mother.

Daisy smirks at her. "I take it you're a fan." She says, almost tiredly.

Jemma shakes her head, though she has a feeling that Daisy is not really going to believe her. "I've seen a few episodes." She tries to say casually, as though she often chats with actresses about the shows that they're in. "It's okay."

Daisy quirks an eyebrow. "Who's your favorite character?"

"Patsy." Jemma lies quickly. "Of course."

"Of course." Daisy mimics, holding the door to her trailer open. Jemma might be imagining things, but she thinks that maybe Daisy looks a little disappointed.

For a while, they actually manage to work on the problems that had been assigned earlier that day by Daisy's "terrible" tutor but eventually Daisy's attention starts to wander and Jemma doesn't exactly strain herself trying to get Daisy back on task.

"It must be a lot of fun." Jemma remarks when they officially decide to take a break from work, though they've really been doing that for the past ten minutes. "Working on a TV show."

Daisy makes a face, leaning against the back of the couch and drawing her knees up to her chest. "It's okay." She says with a shrug and none of the enthusiasm that Jemma usually sees her exhibit in interviews and behind the scenes footage.

Not that she watches that stuff or anything.

"It's really not all it's cracked up to be." Daisy continues. "I mean, the hours suck and it can get pretty exhausting and my agent is a bitch and I can't go anywhere without people wanting to talk about the show or get my autograph…" She trails off, looking at Jemma, wincing. "Sorry. That was a lot of complaining."

Jemma smiles quickly. "It's okay." She assures her, trying to give off the vibe of someone who would never ask for an autograph or try to talk about episodes. "I never thought about all of that stuff."

Daisy shakes her head. "Hey, at least my agent is just my agent. Trish has to deal with having her for a mother."

"There must be some perks to having everyone know who you are?" Jemma suggests hopefully. "Plus the whole not getting grounded thing."

Daisy looks at her curiously and Jemma feels a little bit like a specimen under the microscope. She shifts uncomfortably, inching away from Daisy just a centimeter or two. "What?"

"I just don't think I've ever met anyone like you." Daisy remarks. "You're pretty weird."

Jemma feels herself start to blush. "Yeah I…I've heard that before."

"I like it." Daisy assures her, much to her surprise. "It's refreshing."

Well, that is something Jemma definitely has not heard before.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

It's weird how quickly all of it just becomes normal: taking the bus down to the studio lot, smiling at the guards at the gate and meeting Daisy outside. Sometimes they're joined by Trish and even sitting beside Patsy herself and helping her with science becomes commonplace. But for the most part, it's just her and Daisy and Jemma is perfectly happy with that little arrangement.

She becomes even happier when Daisy starts texting her about things unrelated to science and setting up tutoring sessions. Jemma figures most people would kill for the little behind the scenes pictures and gripes that she gets from Daisy but it's all Jemma can do to keep from laughing in the middle of history when she gets Daisy's texts. Yes, she is now the type of person to sneak a peek at her phone during class time, go figure.

Daisy also seems to enjoy the mundane messages that Jemma sends back about her own school day, which is totally mind blowing in and of itself, if you ask Jemma.

When Daisy finds out two weeks or so into their frequent homework help sessions that Jemma, a transplant to the city within the past two years, has yet to actually experience much of the city itself, their study sessions become less about science and more about sneaking off the set.

"Aren't you going to get in trouble?" Jemma giggles nervously as they slip around the side of one of the warehouse, carefully skirting Mrs. Walker. "Don't they need you?"

Daisy waves a dismissive hand. "They can make do for a few hours." She shrugs. "This is way more important."

Before Jemma can protest, Daisy grabs her hand. "Hurry!" She pulls Jemma behind her as they dart across the lot, weaving around wardrobe carts and sets and props for a variety of shows and movies. By the time they slip out of the studio gates, Jemma is breathless with laughter and holding Daisy's hand tightly.

They take the bus and Jemma finally gets a taste of what Daisy was saying before, about how difficult it is for her to go anywhere or get anything done. She has to relinquish Daisy's hand in favor of six selfies and at least seven autographs and every eye on the bus seems to be on them. Not them…on Daisy. Jemma is surprised by the sudden jealousy that rolls through her. It's not because she wants the attention for herself. It's more because…she wants Daisy all for herself.

When they finally get off the bus, Jemma is feeling just a bit claustrophobic so she can only imagine how Daisy feels.

"Sorry about that." Daisy says, sticking her hands into her pockets. She doesn't look at Jemma. "I know it's a lot to handle."

"It's all right." Jemma assures her and Daisy looks over, relieved. "I don't know how you put up with all that-"

Daisy makes a face, shaking her head. "It's like a circus."

Jemma smirks. "So are you the trained monkey?"

Despite the teasing, Daisy seems to relax, her eyes sparkling and the tension leaving her shoulders. "I like to think of myself as a tiger, actually."

Daisy leads her to a small shack of a restaurant that Jemma realizes she's passed by a dozen times before without sparing it a second glance. Jemma isn't even completely sure that it's still in business but Daisy pushes open the door without hesitation. It's every bit as small on the inside as the exterior would lead passersby to believe; there are only a handful of tables, all surrounded by mismatched chairs and most of those chairs are already occupied. The mouthwatering scent of cooking food gives Jemma a pretty good idea of why the place is already crowded.

No one gives them more than a passing glance; even Daisy manages to avoid any kind of staring from the people chowing down. Daisy quickly pulls Jemma toward the counter. "This place has the best tacos in the world, seriously." She assures Jemma. "I knew right away that this had to be the first stop on our sightseeing tour."

The people behind the counter clearly know Daisy, joking around with her for a bit before putting in her order. Jemma is more than happy to let Daisy order for her, trusting her judgement, which is pretty odd considering the fact that they've known each other a few weeks and Jemma doesn't often trust other people to make decisions for her. Her mother says she's always been that way, leading to plenty of frustrating stories about her younger years.

Once they have their food, Daisy leads them back outside and around back, where there's an old rusty table sitting facing the expanse of park and beach behind the restaurant. Everything is almost surreally perfect: the scenery, the food and the company, most of all.

"So, what's next on this tour of yours?" Jemma questions when she's finally stopped eating long enough to regain the capability of speech.

Daisy shrugs. "I'm not sure yet." She tells Jemma. "I really couldn't think much past the need for tacos."

They're nearly finished when Daisy's cell phone starts ringing. The expression on her face lets her know that it's not exactly good news. "Ugh, it's Dorothy." She declines the call, turning the phone face down on the table. "She doesn't know about this place, so we should be good."

Jemma quirks an eyebrow, trying to figure out if she's joking. "You think she'd really come after you?"

Daisy wrinkles her nose. "You don't know Dorothy." She sighs.

The phone buzzes again, this time with a text from Trish, though Daisy ignores that too. Jemma purses her lips. "Maybe we should head back?"

That's the opposite of what she wants right about now. She's having too much fun and she's pretty sure that she would be content to follow Daisy around the city until she knew every little nook and cranny, just to have more time in the other girl's company.

Daisy is doing that thing where she's busy avoiding eye contact; it didn't take Jemma long to pick up that that was one of Daisy's signature moves. "If you want." She says noncommittally, breaking off a piece of taco shell and crumbling it behind her fingers.

"I'm having a great time." Jemma assures her, smiling even though Daisy isn't looking at her at the moment. "I just don't want you to get in trouble."

Daisy looks up at her, smiling and Jemma feels like her heart beat suddenly goes from zero to sixty. "I can handle Dorothy." She assures Jemma. "And I'm having fun too. It's nice spending time together, isn't it?" She asks tentatively and Jemma nods quickly. "It's…normal."

Coming from Daisy, Jemma has the feeling that that's the highest compliment she can receive.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Even though Daisy is soundly chewed out by Dorothy and several other members of the show's crew (something Jemma gets full updates on later that night via text message), she doesn't seem all that deterred from keeping her promise to show Jemma around the city. When there's no sneaking out involved, they make it into a spur of the moment group outing, taking along Trish and Jessica and Bobbi, Fitz and Mack, though with both Daisy and Trish, they get a lot more stares and attention. Strangely enough, Jemma is also getting used to that too.

As much as Jemma loves her friends and as much as she enjoys getting to know Trish and Jessica as well, she looks forward to the times when it's just her and Daisy. Even though it means that Daisy is likely to get into even more trouble later on, it somehow seems worth it. She doesn't even notice the reporters and paparazzi who have a tendency to hang around and snap pictures even when they're doing something as mundane as walking down the sidewalk. Daisy ignores them effortlessly, so Jemma strives to emulate that particular response. She wonders how they would feel if they knew that they were desperately taking pictures of a seventeen-year-old who is about to go home and help her mother with the dishes and finish her English homework.

Jemma is still thinking over aforementioned English homework when she arrives at school, working over the thesis for her paper in her mind. It takes her a few minutes to realize that people seem particularly interested in her as she walks down the hallway, turning away from their lockers and conversations to watch her as she heads toward her own locker. Jemma tries to ignore the looks and comments, though she can't help but surreptitiously glance down at herself, just to make sure that she's got on the appropriate amount of clothing and to ensure that there's not some sort of hideous stain on her blouse.

Honestly, she's a little used to the stares. They usually come attached to words like 'teacher's pet' and 'suck up' or requests for her to do homework that doesn't belong to her.

It's a relief when Bobbi meets her at her locker. "Have you noticed that people are acting strangely?" Jemma questions, glancing over at her friend. "Or is that just me?"

Bobbi smirks. "Oh, it's you. I mean, you're the reason they're acting strangely." She elbows her friend. "Why didn't you tell me? I thought we were best friends."

Jemma stares at her. "Tell you what?"

"About you and Daisy." Bobbi rolls her eyes. "Was it supposed to be some kind of secret? You know I wouldn't have told anyone."

The blank stare doesn't disappear. "What about me and Daisy? You already know about her. You've even spent time with her and-"

"That's not what I'm talking about." Bobbi interrupts, exasperated. She pauses, considering. "Wait…so…you have no idea what I'm talking about?"

Jemma gives her a look that suggests that that should be pretty obvious. Bobbi slings her bag around to her front, digging through it quickly and pulling out one of those ridiculous magazines that make their money on spreading gossip about celebrities. The celebrity on the front happens to be Daisy and the headline reads **Has Daisy Got a New Girl? Get the scoop on the star's new crush inside!**

It takes Jemma a second to realize that the girl on the cover beside Daisy is herself. Her mouth drops open and she reaches for the magazine, snatching it out of Bobbi's hands. "What?" The picture is from a few days ago, when she and Daisy were wandering around downtown checking out a record store that Daisy is a fan of and dodging angry texts from Dorothy. In the picture, Daisy is holding her hand, a side effect of her excitement and impatience and, if Jemma's being honest, a common occurrence in their friendship.

Jemma has never thought much about the gesture (well, that's not entirely true but no one has to know that) but clearly the tabloids are having a field day with it. She looks up at Bobbi, wide-eyed. "What?" She says again. "They think we're dating?"

Bobbi only smirks at her. "Aren't you?"

Jemma feels her cheeks flame at the question. "No!" She sputters, even though it's the truth. "Of course not." She forces herself to stop talking when she feels the urge to start rambling bubbling in her chest. She and Daisy aren't dating but she has the feeling that her nervous energy comes from the fact that she's found herself wishing that Daisy was her girlfriend instead of her friend. Again, she'd never admitted that thought to anyone but maybe she hadn't been doing as good a job at concealing it as she'd hoped.

"Okay." Bobbi shrugs, taking the magazine back from her. "I'm guessing everyone at school saw this magazine already or read about it on the Internet. You know how nosy people can people."

Jemma shakes her head. "And that's why they're staring? Because they think I'm dating Daisy Johnson."

Bobbi gives her a pointed stare. "That would definitely be stare-worthy if it were true."

"Well, it's not." Jemma says firmly, slamming her locker closed. "Daisy and I are just friends."

Jemma gets so tired of saying this particular phrase throughout the day that eventually she doesn't even bother, giving in to her classmates' apparent desire to talk about her dating life. _Fake_ dating life, not that anyone is interested in listening to that part of it. So, by the end of the day, everyone at school -including the teachers- think that she is dating Daisy Johnson. _Fake dating_ , Jemma thinks with a roll of her eyes and shake of her head. People have long stopped listening to her.

Besides, she has something more important to occupy her time with: wondering why she hasn't heard from Daisy all day. She knows that Daisy's schedule is often hectic and unpredictable but she's always managed to find a few minutes to send some witty text message, desperate for contact with the outside world. She tries not to let this worry her; she tries not to do that ridiculous thing where her mind works way too fast for its own good and tries to convince her that everything she's ever done in her life is awful and that Daisy hates her.

Since it's Tuesday and they have a standing date ( _fake_ date, Jemma can't help but mentally correct herself) to go over science and math, Jemma heads over to the studio despite having heard nothing but radio silence from Daisy all day. Daisy is sitting in her trailer, studying a script that's spread open in front of her. She looks up, seemingly surprised to see Jemma standing there.

"Oh." Jemma hesitates in the doorway, surprised by Daisy's reaction. "I…I should have texted first I guess…I don't have to…I mean I can come back…I just know we usually-"

"Yeah, no, totally." Daisy quickly pushes the script aside, getting to her feet. "Come in." Jemma does, trying not to think too hard about the strange tone of Daisy's voice. "I just didn't know if you were coming."

Jemma looks at her strangely. "Why wouldn't I?"

Daisy doesn't answer right away and Jemma suddenly thinks that she has an idea. "That magazine story?"

Daisy frowns, staring pointedly down at her feet. "Trish showed it to me this morning. I'm sorry, Jemma, I had no idea that was the angle they were going to go with and…I hate those tabloid hacks. They always manage to ruin everything and-"

"Wait." Jemma has never been on the receiving end of the rambling before. It's an interesting change. "Why would it ruin everything?"

Daisy looks up at her, her expression twisted and pained and Jemma can't help but let her hands tighten themselves into fists. She's never been nervous around Daisy before but suddenly that has changed.

"I just didn't know…" Daisy swallows. "I didn't want it to be weird. The idea of us being more than just friends…of us dating…I didn't want it to push you away…"

Jemma steps toward Daisy, uncertain. "Does it bother you?"

Daisy almost looks surprised by the question. "No. I've actually…" She stops herself before she can finish, embarrassed.

"Thought about it?" Jemma finishes for her, raising her eyebrows. Daisy doesn't answer. "Me too."

And that's how she goes from fake dating Daisy Johnson to actually dating her. It's a much better arrangement in her opinion.


	4. Arranged/Forced Marriage

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is a forced marriage AU based on "The 100" because I've really enjoyed seeing all of the Clexa stuff all over my tumblr dashboard. This story was originally supposed to be longer but I tried to rein it in just a little bit.

**Prompt 04 -Arranged or Forced Marriage**

 

On the eve of the bonding ceremony, Daisy finds it difficult to identity the primary emotion flowing through her. She's reluctant to call it nerves because she doesn't want to give off the wrong impression. Besides, why should she be nervous? This ceremony is nothing more than that: a ceremony, a way to end a war and unite her clan with the Sky People so that no more of their warriors are killed. There's nothing more than politics to it, a mate chosen for her because of convenience and nothing more. But still…Daisy feels a pressure building inside of her chest, twisting up her lungs and making it hard to breathe, even in the crisp night air that has chased the rest of her people into their tents long ago.

But still, Daisy remains by the fire, studying the flames as they flicker and dance. She knows little about this girl, this person that she is going to be bonded to, aside from the fact that she, too, is the daughter of an important member of the Sky People. Daisy wonders about her, in spite of herself, even though she knows it doesn't matter. Warrior or coward, the result will be the same.

Daisy leans forward to toss another log into the fire; she has the feeling that she's going to be out here for quite a while longer, judging by the tumultuous thoughts in her mind.

The sound of footsteps immediately makes her tense, reaching instinctively for the knife at her side. Such an action is unnecessary, when the face of her guest comes into focus: her mother. Daisy can't decide if she is relieved or annoyed by this new development.

Jiaying sits down beside her, her face bathed in shadows instead of kohl, the way it was only two days before when she arranged this union between her clan and the Sky People. Daisy hadn't been with her then, hadn't been able to give her consent, not that it would have mattered. The daughter of the Commander is the next best thing to the Commander herself.

"I know you are upset with me." Jiaying says after several moments pass in silence and Daisy turns to face her mother. "It was our only choice. You know something drastic must be done."

Daisy shakes her head. "I am not upset with you." She tells Jiaying. "We have to do whatever it takes for our people."

Jiaying gives her what might be a smile, though it's hard to tell in the flickering fire light. She nods. "Exactly."

Daisy blows out a breath, watching it become visible for the quickest of seconds before melting away in the heat of the fire. "I know what I have to do."

Once again, Jiaying nods. "Yes. Tomorrow you will be bonded with her. Her people will call off the war, the fighting will cease."

"Yes." Daisy agrees. "And she will stay here with us."

This idea, this understanding that by this time tomorrow she will have someone, a stranger, sleeping beside her in her tent is enough to bring back the feeling of fear and anxiety. In the darkness of the firelight, even with Jiaying beside her, it suddenly seems easier to give into those feelings and admit what they are.

Jiaying is silent, staring at the fire just as intently as Daisy is. "It must be done." She says again finally, quietly, her tone betraying none of her own thoughts.

Daisy works to ensure that her tone does the same. "I know."

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The daughter of one of the leaders of the Sky People is not a warrior, that much Daisy can tell just by looking at her. Looking at her, Daisy feels almost like she's seeing two different women: who she was in the sky and who she is on the ground. Some of her old self still remains at the edges, in her soft features and her skin still pinking from the sun rather than growing dark and tanned. But there are other things too, marks that Daisy knows from experience: a split lip, a bruise, dirty hands, tight shoulders and a neck that keeps her head straight and high. Daisy wonders what it will be like to get to know her, to talk with her, to be bound to her. Will it be nothing more than a necessity? Will they remain strangers forced together by other people?

Daisy locks eyes with her only briefly before turning her head away, making it seem like it's suddenly absolutely necessary for her to speak to Lincoln, standing ramrod straight beside her. Really, she just needs a break from the intensity that she's getting in return.

They don't speak to one another before the ceremony or directly after, there's no opportunity. The ceremony is largely made up of traditions that Daisy is familiar with, the things that have been done in her clan since long before she was born but the leaders of the Sky People interject with a few traditions of their own, words and flowery speeches that mostly leave Daisy confused, even if she largely understands their purpose. It's all about unity, on both sides. Jiaying speaks in a mixture of their language and the language more familiar to the Sky People and all the while Daisy stands there with her hands held tightly in those of the person that she's just been bound to.

"This union is about more than just today." Coulson, the leader of the Sky People is saying with a smile that almost seems sincere. "It will impact the futures of all our people from this day forward. We will forever be united as one."

Daisy looks back toward this strange girl, this person from the sky, this intruder. Their eyes meet again and this time she doesn't look away. Jemma. Her name settles in Daisy's mind, feeling a bit like a weight and a bit like something else. A good something else, perhaps.

For the most part, Jemma's expression is difficult to decipher; she's better at concealing her emotions than some of the other Sky People that Daisy has seen. But she can still see something there, lurking in the corners of her eyes, in the tightness of her lips. Fear.

Daisy gives her hands a gentle squeeze, hoping to reassure her. They are united as one, just like Coulson said, whether they had anything to say about it or not. Daisy figures that, as the Commander's daughter, she should do her best to at least try to make her guest feel welcome.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The feasting and celebrating goes on into the night and Daisy can't help but notice that the Sky People seem far more loose and comfortable with the Woods clan than her people do around the outsiders. The Sky People seem to have no problem drinking and eating, carrying on and embracing a reason to celebrate. It would be easy for her mother to give the order and eliminate the Sky People when they're distracted and helpless. Of course, that would pretty much defeat the purpose of the union that Daisy has suddenly found herself entered into.

Thankfully neither culture seems to have any traditions for the bonded couple once night falls and it's time to retire to the privacy of bed. Daisy figures that everyone would know it was all for show anyway, just a farce. They aren't the typical type of couple to be bonded together.

Daisy allows herself to look at Jemma, truly look at her, for the first time. She's felt embarrassingly shy and anxious around her, unable or unwilling to meet her gaze for more than a few seconds at a time. Not to mention Daisy can't remember actually having any sort of full conversation with her…

Time to bite the bullet. Daisy clears her throat and Jemma's eyes lift toward her. "I hope you'll find the bed comfortable." It's probably not the best way to start a first conversation but it's the first fully formed sentence that passes her lips. "If you're too cold, I can find extra-"

"I'm sure it'll be fine." Jemma interrupts and Daisy is slightly taken aback by her accent. She's never heard one like it on Earth. "It looks far more comfortable than where I've been sleeping." She makes a face. "The floor of the dropship is hardly ideal."

Daisy nods, uncertain. "It's how you came to Earth?"

Jemma barely glances at her as she nods, almost dismissing the question. But then she pauses, looking back at Daisy once more. She must see something in her features, the carefully concealed curiosity that Daisy has managed to hide from her mother because an interest in the Sky People was not in Jiaying's original plan for how to deal with them. But how could Daisy help being curious? She'd never known there were people in the sky, that they could fall down to Earth just like that.

With a faint smile, Jemma nods again. "Yes." She hesitates, her hands lingering on the blankets that she had just been turning down on the bed. "Would you like to hear about it?"

Daisy doesn't know if she means the stars or the journey to Earth but it doesn't matter. She nods anyway.

It's a little strange getting into bed beside someone that she doesn't know, but the gentle cadence of Jemma's voice as she tells the story of their launch from her home in space eases the strangeness a little. It gives her something else to focus on, rather than the body next to her. Despite her nerves and anxiety, the events of the day catch up with her and Daisy soon finds herself drifting off to sleep just as Jemma's voice starts to grow heavy and tapper off.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The atmosphere around the camp is different now that the Sky People have gone. Without the air of celebration, Daisy can see the suspicious and dubious eyes settling on Jemma, wondering if the motivations for the union are really as pure as her leader seems to suggest. Daisy can also see the sadness start to settle in Jemma's eyes, the heaviness of someone who has been abandoned.

"No one will hurt you." Daisy says when she sits down beside Jemma in front of the dying fire. She almost winces, mentally kicking herself. She really needs to work on the things that she says to Jemma.

Jemma looks up from her breakfast, a bowl of oatmeal that isn't really made to look any more appetizing by the splashes of colorful berries. Daisy can't help but note that Jemma's bowl is almost empty, though she personally thinks that the meal leaves a lot to be desired. "Oh. I know." Jemma forces a smile and gives Daisy a quick nod. "Thank you."

Daisy thinks about leaving it at that and letting the silence grow between them but it seems like that's all they have in common right now. Daisy clears her throat. "Your eyes, they give you away."

Jemma huffs, rolling her eyes before turning away from Daisy, as though that can somehow hide her thoughts. "Well, I think it's perfectly natural to be a little apprehensive, given the circumstances." She says primly.

Daisy studies her, a hint of a smile on her face. She's never known anyone who talks quite like Jemma Simmons. "Before you came to Earth, what did you do?" She questions. "What was your role?"

"My role?" Jemma's brow furrows as she thinks over the question, "My job?" Daisy shrugs. "I worked in the medical wing, helping the doctors care for the patients. I'm more interested in studying how the body works -especially when exposed to different stimuli- than fixing it but…or, I guess…I _was_ …"

Daisy's smile grows a little bit larger. "We have healers as well. You could work with them." She says. "I could introduce you later, if you'd like."

The smile that she gets in return is a genuine one; seeing it compared to all the others makes it obvious how the forced smiles pale in comparison. "Sure."

Daisy hands over her bowl of oatmeal. "Here. I'm not hungry. I need to go speak with the Commander and then I will find you."

Jemma looks surprised by the bowl, protesting even as Daisy is getting to her feet. "You don't have to-"

"I'll find you soon." Daisy waves her hand dismissively.

The genuine smile is back. "Thank you, Daisy."

Jemma's voice and Daisy likes the way that her name sounds slipping past her tongue. It makes her feel like all of this wasn't such a crazy idea after all or, perhaps, eventually, it could grow to make sense.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Now that the bonding ceremony has been completed and the truce -however tenuous- formed with the Sky People, Jiaying seems to lose interest in both her daughter's relationship with Jemma and in Jemma herself. She'd made only one off-handed comment the morning Daisy had gone to find her after her fireside conversation with Jemma, "if only all the Sky People were so tentative and forgettable" and hadn't said anything more about Jemma in the fortnight since. Though Daisy knows that Jiaying's thoughts on the matter aren't all that important, sometimes she finds herself thinking about Jiaying's comment anyway. Now that she feels like she's finally getting to know Jemma, she can't help but feel like Jiaying is way off base; as quiet and thoughtful as Jemma is, she certainly doesn't seem tentative. And she's anything but forgettable.

Some of the awkwardness is finally starting to slip away, though Daisy is still careful to watch where she puts her hands, trying to resist the urge to reach for Jemma whenever the mood strikes her. She wants to sit beside her during meals and press their knees together, to see if she can encourage another sincere smile out of Jemma. She wants to allow their shoulders to knock together while they walk. But she always manages to resist, uncertain of how Jemma would feel about the contact. She always forces herself to remain firmly on her side of the bed, a space between them.

With the peace established with the Sky People, life seems to go almost back to normal and there are brief moments where Daisy envies the rest of her people, who can go through their days like they always did, able to push aside the fighting and the intrusion of the people from the stars. She can't do that, not anymore. Not with Jemma falling asleep beside her every night, reminding her that her life is forever changed.

So, with little else to do, Daisy focuses on helping Jemma adjust to the customs of her people and life on the ground. She's not surprised that Jemma enjoys slipping away from camp and off into the woods, listening attentively as Daisy points out medicinal plants and the things that won't kill them if they eat them.

"There's so much here." Jemma says, her voice breathy with wonder as she lets her fingers brush across the vibrant green leaves of a fern. Water droplets collect on the tips of her fingers and it reminds Daisy of early that morning, when she'd lain awake listening to the sound of the rain against the canvas of the tent and the sound of Jemma breathing beside her. "More than I ever imagined back home on the Ark."

Daisy wrinkles her nose, trying to imagine it. "It must have been awful, being trapped inside all the time."

Jemma smirks. "Well, it was better than the alternative, which was being out in space where it is very difficult to breathe."

They continue through the woods and its easy for Daisy to watch Jemma because her eyes are otherwise occupied by the sights all around them. "You must never worry about running out of things here." Jemma remarks. "And the air…it's so fresh. Everything tastes different here, it sounds different."

Daisy only nods because she's not sure how to respond. There's a weird pressure growing in her chest, pushing into her ribs like it doesn't care what parts of her it has to rearrange in order to fit itself inside.

Jemma moves forward to study something on the side of a tree but misses the roots below, stumbling. Daisy reaches out without thinking and all her careful planning and efforts to avoid touching Jemma are suddenly useless. The space between them has finally closed and Daisy can feel Jemma pull in a breath, though she doesn't know if it's their sudden proximity or the fact that she nearly crashed into a tree that's the cause.

Jemma looks up at her and her fingers close lightly around Daisy's wrist and that's all it takes for Daisy to lean in and kiss her softly, the way she's thought about doing often. Jemma's grip on her wrist tightens and she sighs against Daisy's lips and Daisy is certain that Jemma can hear the wild pounding of her heart, though she doesn't really mind.

Even with her lips still tingling from Jemma's kiss, Daisy forces herself to pull away, looking at Jemma closely. "Was that all right?"

Jemma smiles and looks like she'd be tempted to laugh if she wasn't already leaning in to close the distance again. "Yes." She breathes against Daisy's lips and when they kiss again, it's less like rain and more like thunder.


End file.
